


Finally

by AllisonDiamond (orphan_account)



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Cute, Developing Relationship, Feel-good, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Romance, Sweet, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-17 19:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9339755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/AllisonDiamond
Summary: Five times the team told Ray to ask Nate out. Plus one time, Nate asked him out.Or the fic:In where the team is very insightful. Ray doesn't want to date another teammate until the team gives him that push.





	1. Intervention

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Written for this prompt (requested by anon):
> 
> For Steelatom prompts I would love to see you write the rest of the ship getting really annoyed at their pure cutseyness and just their love xD I'd also love to see them trying to pretend they don't have feelings for each other but it's so obvious to the rest of the crew and they have to stage an intervention with Nate and Ray! Although anything Steelatom would be amazing, I love your writing :)!

** /1/ **

“So, you and pretty boy, huh?” Mick asked, lifting the bottle to his lips. “Not bad.”

Ray nearly jumped out of his seat. “What?” His cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Nate and I — _we_ aren’t like that.”

“Look, haircut,” Mick began, staring him down, “I got no problem with you and pretty boy being together. You don’t have to hide that from me. I don’t judge. What can I say, I _love_ love.” He shrugged.

Ray felt the need to hide, but the intensity of Mick’s gaze forced him to stay frozen in his seat. “Okay,” he said, voice too flustered and pitchy. “Uh, thanks?” he ended on a question since he wasn't sure what Mick was saying.

“Good.” Mick stared him down again. “Pretty boy is in the library. Go get him!”

“Uh, Mick, I don’t think—”

Mick grunted, as he got up from his chair. “Look, kid, a guy like pretty boy is sure to be snatched up by some lucky gal or man _very_ soon.” He had that wicked look in his eyes like he always did, but a small smile tugged at his lips. “And I don’t want to see you hurtin’ anymore.”

Ray’s eyes widened. “Uh, okay, thanks.” He faked a smile and playfully punched Mick on the shoulder, earning a scowl from the bigger man. “Sorry, buddy.”

“Now go!” Mick pushed him out of the chair. “I’m sick of all the pinin’. Stinks up the ship.”

Ray chuckled nervously.

Mick sent him a nasty look, which sent him scrambling out of the room in a jiffy.

 

** /2/ **

Ray curled his hand into a fist, ready to knock on the door, but he decided against it.

“You should do it.”

He spun around. 

“Uh, hi?” He scratched his head. “I was just, uh, going to the library. Need to read up on some stuff, you know?”

“No, you were going to check in on Nate.” Sara threw him a devious yet flirty smile. “It’d be nice to have an actual couple around the Waverider. Thinks she would like it.”

He laughed nervously and rubbed his knuckles together. “Nate and I — we _aren’t_ like that.”

“Yeah,” she began and her eyes twinkled with mischief, “but you want it to be like that?”

He shook his head.

“Oh, Ray,” she drawled the words out and scrunched her face up in annoyance. “You want this. He wants this. So, please, make the first move, or else, I’ll throw the two of you in a room until you both stop being oblivious idiots,” she warned him in a sickly sweet voice, and her eyes turned dangerously dark. “Get it?”

He tried to step away from her, but she had already lunged at him, and gripped him by the collar of his shirt. He felt the blood rushing up to his face.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” he said, struggling to breathe. “I will talk to Nate.”

“Good.” She released him and walked away, with that smugness and deviousness. “I’ll know if you don’t,” she said, when she was a couple of steps away from him. “So don’t try any funny business.”

“Yes, boss!” He rubbed his neck absentmindedly.

_Can this day get any worse_ , he thought, as he stared at the library’s door.

 

**/3/**

He sighed and stared long and hard at the door.

There was no way he was going to start a relationship with a teammate again. That hadn’t worked out so well with Kendra. He didn't want to go through something like that again. He was just unlucky in relationships, it seemed.

“Dr. Palmer?” he heard the clear, crisp, and often, too smug, voice of Stein’s before he turned around.

“Yes?” He forced a smile on his trembling lips, because thinking about his old relationships had awakened that fresh, raw pain he had never really gotten over. “Do you need my help, Professor?”

“No, not at all,” Stein was quick to dismiss him. “Quite the contrary.”

“Oh?” He arched an eyebrow. “Um, what do I need help with?”

“Oh, Mr. Palmer, I may not be well-knowledgable when it comes to the matters of the heart, but I can assure you that if you don’t do something about it, you will come to regret it in the future.”

Ray drew his tongue under his teeth and mumbled, “What?” in a incomprehensible tone.

Stein played with his glasses. “You do have feelings for Mr. Heywood, don’t you?” He frowned at the blankness on Ray’s face. “I could swear Jackson said—” He brushed it off and chuckled. “Never mind. I won’t advise going in there for now.” 

He stared at the door.

“I was in there a few minutes ago, telling Mr. Heywood the exact thing I was going to tell you. He seemed a bit more responsive, however. If you were to go in there, you might upset him. A broken heart is never an easy thing to deal with.”

“Oh, I,” Ray said, as he struggled to find the right words. “—”

“It’s alright. I understand. He will, too, soon. Give him time to adjust.” Stein stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. “I should leave now. It was nice talking to you.”  
And with that, Stein left, leaving a very confused Ray behind.

 

 

** /4/ **

This was becoming a weird day, and he had plenty of those. Never one like this one, though, when the team was rounding up on him like this.

But Stein had said something about a broken heart and Nate. Ray hadn’t actually listened to him, not really, so he was really lost here.

That was it. He was going to find Stein and ask him what that all was about.

He started to walk when he slammed right into Jax. 

“Sorry,” he said when he gathered himself up and offered a hand to the slightly disoriented guy. “Didn’t see you there.”

“It’s okay, man.” Jax accepted his hand. “Did I just see Stein here?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.” He brushed the dust off his shirt. “Did he talk to you ‘bout Nate?”

“Yeah, he was.” He felt so relieved. Maybe Jax knew what Martin was going on about. “He, uh, wanted to give me love advice, or somethin’.” He shrugged. “That was weird.”

“Oh, Stein did what?” He bursted out laughing and braced back on the wall to steady himself. “Oh, man, that’s golden.”

“Right.” Ray’s cheeks burned red hot with embarrassment. “Anyway, I should go.”

“No.” Jax gripped his shoulder. “Just give me a minute to recover.” He panted and placed his palm face-down on his beating heart.

“Okay.” 

Ray stood there awkwardly. What was wrong with everyone today? Was he going to run into Amaya next? And then Nate? This was just so weird.

“So, he told you to ask Nate out, right?” Jax looked at him for confirmation. Ray just stared down at the floor. “C’mon, Ray, just ask the guy out. You asked Kendra out, so what’s so hard with asking Nate out? Is it ‘coz he’s a guy?”

“What?” His eyes sunk into his face. “No! I had a few boyfriends in college.”

“Okay, man, just ask him out.” He sighed. “You both will be so much happier. Trust me. And so will the rest of us.”

“Jax, buddy, you aren’t making any sense.”

Jax rolled his eyes. “Just do it, man. It won’t hurt. Believe me. It’s better to say somethin’ than to just let the girl go. Or guy.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah.” Jaz just shook his head. “I got to go. Stein is sending me all of these — _just_ ask him out!” he yelled, as he walked away.

Ray just stood there, hands limp by his side, as his stomach grumbled. _Gotta have some food_ , he thought, as he headed for the kitchen compartment of the ship.

 

** /5/ **

Ray opened the fridge and found nothing, but a couple bottles of beers, some smelly and musty-looking leftovers, and a strawberry yogurt. He grabbed the yogurt. He was probably going to cook something later, but he was hungry right now.

“I was too late. I wanted that yogurt.”

Ray spun around, a little too quickly, and his head hit the fridge’s door.

“You can have it.” He closed the fridge and offered the yogurt with one hand, the other rubbing his aching temple.

“No, I’m good. You were here first. You have it.” Amaya smiled at him. Ray offered it to her again. “Really, I’m good, Ray.”

“I don’t feel right—” He bit his lower lips. “—eating this. Take it.”

“Fine,” she said, as she snatched the yogurt from his hand. “Thanks. You okay there?”

“What?” His eyes widened. “Nate and I — _we aren’t like that_ ,” he was quick to say, without realizing that Amaya hadn’t asked him about that. “We are just friends.”

“Okay?” She gave him a funny look. “But, Ray, if the two of you are like that, then you both have been doing a terrible job.”

“What do you mean?” He searched her face for answers, but she hid her emotions well.

“It’s not up to me to say.” She threw him a ‘I get you’ look. “I know it isn’t easy to date a teammate. It can jeopardize your friendship and work relationship and everything else. But if you can make it work, it’s all worth it, because you might never find someone like that again who understands you that well.”

He nodded, too unsure of what to say.

“When the time is right, you can tell him how you feel,” she continued, as she shoved the spoon in her mouth. “It will all work out in the end. Maybe it won’t be all that great at first, but trust me, it gets better.”

“Thanks.” He swallowed, as he felt his whole face burning up.

“You’re welcome. I’d have liked it if someone had told me it was okay to date Rex, but that was a different time, and this is a different team. And maybe I wished Rex and I had more time together, but I’d never throw away what we had together.”

“Okay,” he whispered, “I guess I should.”

He didn't see Amaya smirking at him, as he left the room.

 

**/+1/**

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Ray felt his chest tightening up. _I can do this_ , he kept on telling himself, _maybe this time, it will all work out._

“It’s open. Come in,” he heard the cheerful voice of Nate’s, and it got his stomach all tied up in a knot. Or from the hunger. He was hungry.

He turned the knob, pressed his body half-way through the door, and stared at Nate. God, he was really doing this. He felt butterflies swimming around in his stomach. That wasn't due to hunger.

“Ray!” Nate welcomed him with a bone-crushing hug. “I was actually coming to see you, but I found this book, and man, it’s so good.”

He lifted the book over Ray’s shoulders and then released Ray from the hug. 

Ray wetted his lips. “I guess I’m here…” He blushed and wanted nothing more to leave. “I should leave.”

“Why?” Nate’s face fell. “Did I do something?”

“No, god, no!” He reached for Nate and pulled him for an embrace until Nate’s face was right against his shoulder blade. “I am just—”

Let me guess.” Nate released himself from the embrace and smiled. “They all gave their little ‘speech’ on how we should get together.”

Ray blushed like crazy. “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought I was the only one getting that treatment.” He laughed. “Actually, I’m here to talk to you about that.”

“Oh?” Nate smiled at him. “So, should I get ready? You think they’d drop us off somewhere else than here? Like I dunno, a nice restaurant, or diner, with good food?”

Ray blinked slowly. “Are you asking me out?”

“Yeah, have been, ever since I met you.” He locked gaze with Ray. “I tried subtlety, but apparently that didn't work. Everyone caught on. ‘Cept for you.”

“Oh.” Ray beamed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” 

Nate squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. 

“I know you’ve been hurt pretty bad in your past relationships, and I can’t promise, if you agree to go out with me, that won’t happen. But I’ll hate myself if I ever put you through something like that. You’re the only one I’m into, for now, and forever, I hope.”

“Oh.” Ray smiled. “Right.” His stomach grumbled. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, I’m hungry, too. I wish I could make something for you, but I’m an awful cook.” He offered Ray a ‘I’m sorry’ look.

“Well, lucky for you,” Ray began, grinning happily, “I happen to be a very good cook.”

“Well, lead the way, you stud!”

“Are you flirting with me?”

Nate smirked. “‘Course I am.”

“Okay.”

“Shouldn’t you be flirting back with me?”

“Yeah, I’m not that good at flirting.” He laughed. “Believe me, Nate, you don’t want to see me flirting.”

“You have to try.” Nate winked. “I’ve prepared myself for your big—”

“Please don’t continue.” Ray blushed and adverted his eyes away from Nate’s smirking face.

“We should really flirt inappropriately in front of the team,” Nate whispered, smiling. “C’mon, we should. They thought we were being ‘dorks in love’ when we weren’t together.”

“Really? You kidding?”

“Nope,” he said and showed off his perfect teeth. “What do you say?”

Ray thought about it for a second and then grinned. “We should do it.”

“Great!” Nate hooked a hand under the crook of Ray’s hand, as they headed to the kitchen. “Best date ever!”

Ray smiled. Maybe this will all turn out to be alright in the end. Maybe it won’t. But right now, they were going to eat, and then it was payback time to the team for putting them through that ordeal. It had been so uncomfortable. 

 

 


	2. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five times Ray and Nate decide to annoy the team by being something they are not. And one time they are themselves and still annoy the team.

** /1/ **

Nate lowered himself into Ray’s lap and pressed his face close to Ray’s. “Hi, babe, remember what we practiced?” he whispered huskily, biting Ray’s earlobe lightly.

Ray flushed underneath one Nate Heywood’s roaming hands on his chest, slowly unbuttoning the top of his shirt. “Nate, I, uh, we shouldn’t be doing this. It’s not—” His breath hitched in his throat when Nate pushed his hand under his shirt, circling a thumb across his nipple. “Nate!”

“Ray, relax! It’s fine. It’s _not_ like we haven’t done this before. He pulled his lips into a small smirk. “Plus I _like_ you like this, all flustered and hot, all just for me.”

Ray groaned and threw his head back. “God, Nate, stop using _smut_ as your inspiration for seduction! Mick _is_ not goin’ to be bothered by this. He’ll, um, uh, just grab a beer, and go his way.”

Nate drew his lips a couple of inches below Ray’s, and whispered lowly, “Is that so? I know how you squirm when I do this.” He licked his lips and this wild look flickered in his eyes. “I _can’t_ wait for Mick to see you desperate and needy for me.” He lowered his face and pressed his face into Ray’s neck, running his lips over that sweet spot.

Ray grew red hot and his cheeks burned. “Nate, ugh, don’t!” The voice left his throat when his soon-to-be-dead boyfriend sucked that sweet spot on his neck. He titled his head, offering him better access to his neck.

Ray moaned, next to a whimper, when Nate moved his hand to his navel, and continued sucking his neck like there was no tomorrow. 

“Mhhmm, this is interesting. If I had known, we _had_ porn on this ship, I’d have came down a lot earlier.”

The sound of Mick’s rough and low voice startled Ray who tried to push Nate off him.

“Ray, we practiced!” Nate whispered into his neck.

“How can you be okay with this?” Ray furiously whispered back between moans. Nate really had magic tongue. 

“I **_AM NOT!_** But we planned this, remember? Mick won’t stay for long.”

“Oh, I don’t think so! He isn’t leaving and he’s smiling.”

“Yeah, well,” Nate said, licking his neck one last time before turning to face him. Ray whimpered at the last of the warm breath on his sweet spot. “You know what, just shut up!”

Mick chuckled. “Are you two done with the love fest? ‘Cause it’s dull without the porn.”

Ray just stared at Mick, then at a grumbling Nate, and blushed like crazy. He then threw Nate off his lap and walked away quickly.

“Ray! Come on, we practiced! Babe, you can’t just walk out now!” Nate said, as he picked himself up from the hard, cold floor and went after Ray.

Mick laughed. “Dumb idiots,” he said to himself, as he went to the fridge for a beer.

** /2/ **

“Are you sure about this?” Ray slid an arm around Nate’s waist, pulling him in closer. “I mean — it’s Sara! She’s goin’ to kill us! I’m surprised she hasn’t killed us already.”

“Relax, babe,” he reassured the nervous man before him. “You got this. Let’s go over the plan again?”

“Why are we doing this?” He bit his lower lips. “Why do _we_ have to do this? Do we want to scar them for life?”

“God, yes!” Nate punched him in the chest. Ray almost almost lost his balance. “Sorry about that, babe. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He held on Nate for support, pulling him in closer until they were pressed chest to chest. “Can’t I, uh, talk you out of this?”

“Yeah, not goin’ to work.” Nate ran his hands down Ray’s chest. “This is happening and you can’t drop out. You agreed to this!”

Ray sighed. “Fine,” he said quietly. “I’m thinkin’ it’d have been better if I kept my feelings to myself,” he grumbled under his breath.

“Ray, did you say something?”

“No, I, uh, didn’t.” He forced a smile on his lips. “So, which one of your exceptionally brilliant _schemes_ is for Sara?”

Nate sent him a look. “Kissing, Ray! You know, where you kiss me every five second! Do you remember now!” he all but screeched.

Ray opened his mouth but then shut it, as a hurt look flashed over him features.

Nate pulled in Ray closer and kissed the back of his neck. “I’m so sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m just not comfortable with this.”

“Then why can’t we stop this before we become the laughing stock of the team?”

“Because of that exact reason,” he said into Ray’s neck. “Okay, babe?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Nate smiled and turned to look at him before pulling him in for a chaste kiss, just a brush of the lips. “I really, really like you, Ray.”

“Yeah, me, too,” he said, flushed against Nate’s warm, soft lips.

Nate smiled at him and pulled him in for a kiss again. They kissed until they heard a ‘eh-mm’ behind them.

Nate looked at Ray. “You got this?” he asked softly, running a hand lovingly across Ray’s hair.

Ray nodded.

“Good. Anytime would be nice, now.”

“Right.”

“Why _aren’t_ you two down in the training room? Look, I’m happy that you two finally admit your feelings for each other.” Sara looked down at her nails and then at them again. “But you _can’t_ be here making out all the time.”

Ray flinched at the stern tone in Sara’s face, but Nate ran a hand reassuringly down his back. He swallowed nervously and sucked at the bottom of Nate’s moist lips.

“Are you two even listening to me?” Sara smirked.

Ray hesitated for a brief second, but Nate moaned loudly behind him, and he just went with it. He removed his lips from Nate’s ones and lifted his head up and smiled at Sara before leaning in for another kiss. 

“Raymond, are you playing with me?”

Sara never called him Raymond before. He must be in trouble.

This time, Nate pulled him in for another kiss, swirling his tongue around in Ray’s mouth. A kiss of all teeth and tongue. It _wasn’t_ pleasant and he whimpered. His jaw hurt so badly. And Nate’s teeth would often scraped his lips and gum painfully.

Nate pulled away immediately at his distress. “Sorry.” And he circled his thumb across Ray’s bruised lips. “We should stop.”

“But what about your plan?”

“Screw it. My _eroti —_ I mean my research didn’t warn me it _can_ be this bad.” He smiled. “And maybe we won’t scar Mick and Sara, but we can still, with Professor Stein, Jax, and Amaya.”

“Okay.” He kissed Nate sweetly. “Can I, uh, convince you to not go through with this?”

“‘Fraid not,” Nate said against his lips and pulled in Ray for a long, deep kiss. 

“Okay, you two, break it up!” Sara had this amusing look in her eyes. “You can go back to your makeout sessions when we are finished with training.”

Nate and Ray nodded, as they untangled themselves from each other. 

But Nate had this mischievous look in his eyes, and pulled Ray in for another kiss.

“Nathaniel! Don’t test me!”

Nate laughed and kissed Ray again. 

“Okay, you’re getting it now!”

Ray just groaned, untangled himself from Nate’s hold, and watched the scene unfold in front of him.

** /3/ **

Ray glared at Nate.

“Babe, relax.” He squeezed his shoulders. “You look fantastic.”

“I look like an idiot,” he mumbled under his breath. “And I’m freezing.” He hugged his arms around his exposed chest.

“Hey, now, you aren’t the only who is half naked.” Nate gestured to himself. 

“Yeah, why are we doing this again? I _don’t_ want to lose Professor Stein’s respect.”

“And you won’t,” Nate reminded him.

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“Hey, it’ll be fine.”

“Fine,” he grumbled and then sighed. “What are we doing this time?”

“Abs, Ray, abs. Admiring our abs. You admire my abs. I admire yours,” he said as a matter of factly. “I don’t think Professor Stein would be that spooked.”

Ray shook his head. “Where do you _even_ come up with these ridiculous ideas?” He just shook his head again. 

“They _are not_ ridiculous! You’re ridiculous! Like your ideas would have been _so much_ better.” He huffed. 

“My ideas would have been so much better, I’ll you know!” He glared heatedly at Nate. “I _didn’t_ want to ‘do’ any of this! I just wanted to be with you, Nate. That’s all I wanted. I didn’t want to scar my teammates with some ridiculous ideas.”

Nate stared at him and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I’m making you do this. I’ll just drop it,” he said defeatedly. “Okay, Ray?”

“No, no, no, I’m sorry.” Ray looked at Nate and pulled him in for a hug, brushing the strands of hair out of his face. “We both wanted this. I, uh, just am not comfortable with this.”

“I know, babe. I’m not, too. But we _are_ goin’ to nail this!”

“Okay,” Ray said, as he shook his head.

“Babe, don’t be like that. I’d like it if you were a bit more supportive of my ideas,” he replied playfully.

“I am. I am. Really.”

“Relax.” Nate smiled and brushed his lips over Ray. “You’ll be fine.”

“Dr. Palmer, Mr. Heywood, I don’t wish to impose on you, but you’re needed in the training room. Miss — Captain Lance said she has to talk to the both of you.” 

Stein’s proper, smooth voice caused them both to break away from each other’s grasps.

Ray started to speak but Nate put a finger to his lips, stopping him.

“Right. We will be there. But can you give us five minutes? We have — you know, some, uh,to work out,” Nate said charmingly and Ray sent him a confused look.

Stein looked at him knowingly and played with his glasses. “Of course, I’ll leave you two alone, then,” he said awkwardly and started to walk away, but he walked into the wall. “I’m alright.” He picked himself clumsily from the floor and left.

When Stein wasn’t visible, Ray said, “What was that?”

“Hey, I figure out that Professor Stein doesn’t deserve this.”

“Really? Why the change of heart?” Ray smiled brightly.

“Ah, just, I dunno.” Nate licked his lips, as he looked Ray over. “God, Ray, has anyone ever told how _amazing_ your pecs are? Like how do you get them like that?! I can’t _never_ achieve amazing pecs like that! And I’ve tried!”

Ray blushed and ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, thanks. Yours aren’t that bad?” he ended on a question because he was so scattered brain right now. 

“Like _all_ I want to do is run my hands and then my tongue—”

Ray flushed beneath Nate’s leering gaze. “Nate, _please_ don’t ever go back to those smut sites again.”

“—around those juicy, red nipples. Ooh, and pressed mine against yours until—”

“Nate, _please_ stop!”

“—they bounce against each other, like two perfect little red—”

“Oh, I’m sorry to impose again, but Captain Lance said it is important that you two are down there this very minute.” Stein looked down on the floor.

“God, yes, please! I can’t deal with him right now!” Ray was quick to say, earning a hurt look from Nate.

“Oh, okay.”

Ray moved away from Nate, with quick lighting speed, and ushered Stein out of the room, leaving a very confused Nate behind.

** /4/ **

Nate shoved a neatly folded piece of paper into Ray’s hands.

Ray looked at the paper and then at Nate. “Huh? What’s this? I thought we were going to, you know, do that thing.” 

“I don’t want you to leave me hanging there again, Ray.”

Ray opened his mouth and then shut it. “What?” he asked, scratching his head. “Oh, well, you were saying all these _erotic_ things about my, you know. You brought that on yourself!”

“Fine. I guess so.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Can’t blame a guy for admiring another guy’s pecs, babe. Especially when they are that hot.”

Oh, my god!” Ray looked at the paper. “Are _these_ nicknames?”

“Yes.” Nate winked. “You like them?”

“No, I don’t!” He held his head in his hands. “They’re _highly_ offensive. Did you get them off a porn site?”

“Where I get my information isn’t all that important.”

“Okay, maybe it isn’t.” He looked up. “But I’m not _calling_ you ‘boy toy.’ Or ‘poof.’ Or ‘boy.’ Or ‘my good little’ — I can’t even say that one. You’re my partner, the love of my life, not _some_ little dirty secret!”

Nate sighed and then his fact lit up. “Wait, you did just say the ‘l’ word? Oh, my god, you love me! Not bro-love, but love, love me. I love you, too, Ray! We should celebrate!”

“Nate, did you listen to anything I just said?”

“Yeah, babe. I’m sorry. Those were chosen in bad taste. Probably should have left them for the bedroom. You can pick out our names before Jax comes.”

Ray shook his head furiously.

“Right. Not for the bedroom. Okay, fine.” Nate then sighed. “You know, Ray, you haven’t exactly called me anything but ‘Nate’ since we started going out. Would be really nice to have a nickname of sorts.”

“What?”

“Nicknames, Ray. Like my bro in shinning armor. Or my bullet proof lover. Or my science bro. Or the bro to the love of my life.”

“Bro to the love of my life?” Ray repeated the question and his eyes got painfully sad. “Wait, do you love Mick? Are you seeing Mick behind my back?” he ended on wrecked note. “I didn’t think you two, but if you like Mick, I’m happy for you. But I won’t be the third guy. Not even for you. And god knows how much I love you.”

Nate hit himself on the head quite hard. “No, god no! Mick and Amaya are something that I’d never want to come between! Why would you even think that? I shouldn't have used that stupid nickname.” He stretched and titled Ray’s chin until they were face to face. “I love you. And only you, Ray. No guy or even girl can ever come between that. Not even a scary one like Mick.”

Ray leaned into the touch and pressed his forehead against Nate’s. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you like that. I just, uh, have been the third person in a lot of relationships.”

“I know, Ray, and that shouldn’t have been the case. If they have seen half the guy I see, they would never let you be the one to get away.”

“I love you.”

“And, I, you.”

Ray smiled and Nate smiled. 

Ray ran a thumb across Nate’s lips. “Can I kiss you?”

“Yes, god, yes! Didn’t need to ask. My lips are officially yours.”

Ray looked at him a funny way, but then laughed. He leaned and captured Nate’s lips in a passionate kiss, pouring all his feelings and insecurities in it.

“Oh, guys, shoot. Man, I didn’t know. I’ll just go check in with Stein.” Jax wooed. “I’m so glad that you two got together. They won’t stop yapping about you two, you know.”

“Is that so?” Nate said, releasing himself from Ray. “Tell me more.”

“Nate,” Ray warned.

“Shut it, honey pie,” he replied and a wicked look crossed his face.

“Are you kidding me?” Ray all but mouthed. “Fine,” he mumbled. “Anything you say, sweet hum.”

“Oh, don’t agree with me like that. You break my heart, you little heartbreaker.” He pouted and lifted a hand to his heart.

“Oh, butI can never disagree with a hunk like you,” Ray flirted back, feeling the heat rushing to his ears.

“No, but you’re the eye candy, not me!” Nate said in a sickeningly sweet voice. “You’re the Iron Man to my Pepper Pots.”

“No, you’re the Romeo to my Juliet,” Ray replied back with the same amount of sweetness like Nate.

“Oh, no, love muffin, I don’t want you to be Romeo, orto be Juliet. They died! And I don’t want to be in some tragic romance like that with you,” he said, adding that sadness in his voice. “I can’t lose you, lover boy, not when I know all the naughty things you can do to me.”

Ray glanced at him and shook his head. “Stoping reading those things,” he mouthed. “I’m so taking the internet away from you,” he said, a little too loudly, causing Jax to look at him.

“You can’t do that! I need it for my research!” Nate protested, whining a little. “My life-changing research.”

“This isn’t life-changing!” 

“It is too!”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

“Is not”

Jax looked at the both of them. “Um, man, I’m goin’ to leave you two alone,” he said and looked at them again before he disappeared into the next room.

“He left!” Nate yelled. “We are losing!”

“Gee, I wonder why!” 

“Ray, shut it!”

“I’m not goin’ to shut it.”

“God, can you stop!”

“No.”

Nate looked at him and rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky I love you, you heart stealer.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “Or I’d have so kill you already.”

“If I didn’t love you, I’d never agreed to do this.”

“Yeah, well, we might as well as finish. Maybe Amaya is an easier target.”

“Hah, as if!”

“Hey, could you be a bit more supportive?” He rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been supportive of you from the start.”

“Fine.” He huffed.

Ray scoffed. “Fine.”

And silence befallen them.

** /5/ **

“You sure?” Ray smiled brightly. “You want to use my idea?”

Nate smiled back. “Yeah, we’ve been getting into a lot of stupid arguments over this thing.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to argue with you ever again.”

“You do know that is inevitable?” Nate looked at him. Ray nodded. “But I want that, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, let’s do this thing. You ready?” Nate asked, rolled his hands into a fist, and spun around. “Why aren’t you spinning around?”

“Huh? I’m so not doin’ that.” He pointed at Nate and waved it off.

“Okay. So, Amaya should be here soon. I’ll be over here,” he said as he walked over to the far end corner of the room. “And you sit there, looking pretty, and I’ll do the thing.”

“Pretty?”

Nate rolled his eyes. “Hot, sexy, gorgeous, beautiful — choose your pick. I don’t care.”

Just as Ray was about to speak, Amaya walked into the room, and looked over at the two at them warily.

“Okay, what are the two of you up to?” she asked in a clearly annoyed voice.

“Nothing, uh, nothing. We aren’t doing anything wrong. We are just being normal. Yeah, why would you say something like that? Can you stop talking already?” Ray babbled on.

Nate had to step in to stop him from making more of a fool of himself that he already was., if that was even possible. “Hey, Amaya! Ray and I were just enjoying this amazing kitchen.”

“Kitchen? Amazing? This kitchen is anything but amazing.” She stared at them both again. “And if that was even the case, then why are you so far away from Ray?”

“Um, I needed time. I don’t want … can you please come over here!” he implored and avoided Ray’s gaze. “Please.”

“Okay,” she said, as she took careful steps over to Nate’s. “What _are_ you doin’?”

“I’m going to ask Ray the biggest question of his life. I just love him so much. I can’t like not ask him this. He’s so important to me.”

“Nate, isn’t that a little too soon. Look, I don’t know how long you two have been together, but I think you should—”

“Thanks a lot for your help, Amaya.” He patted her on the shoulder and walked over to Ray’s.

“Nate, I don’t think—”

He knelt down on own knee and popped the box out of his pocket. “Raymond Palmer, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. Will you do me the honor of sharing your knowledge with me?”

“What?” Amaya shouted. “What is wrong with the two of you? You’ve been bothering every one of us for this entire week.”

“What?” Both of Ray and Nate turned around at the question. “We have,” they said in perfect unison.

“Yes! Now stop! And just be yourselves! _Please_.”

Ray and Nate looked at each other for a brief second and then both nodded.

“Told you we would win. I thought we’d win over Amaya alone, but we won over all of them. Awesome! We should celebrate!”

Amaya scorned at them and just walked out of the room.

“We are awesome!” 

“No, we really are not.” Ray looked at Nate. “But can we please go back to being us. Just you and me? And none of this?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. So, can I kiss you? Like I want to do so badly right now.”

“Yes, like you need to ask.”

“Okay,” Ray said, as he leaned down, and he kissed Nate gently on the lips, and added more as he drew back, sliding his hand down to the Nate’s chest. “Bedroom?” he asked huskily.

“God, yes! Don’t stop!” Nate kissed him back, sliding his hand down Ray’s back, pulling him in closer.

“I don’t plan to.”

** /+1/ **

Nate was peering over the book when Ray sneaked up on him.

Ray slid an arm across his chest. “Hey.”

“Hey, babe.” He smiled and placed his hand over Ray’s. “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing, just missing you, is all.” Ray smiled back. “And I, uh, well, it’s supposed to be a secret.”

“Ray, now when you’re talking like that, I must know. You’ve to tell me.”

“Okay,” he said and drew a heavy breath. “I gave you an upgrade.”

“You upgraded my suit! Oh, man, you’re the best boyfriend a guy can ask for!” He smiled, as his heart beat wildly in his chest. “God, I love you so much.”

“I know. And I love you, too.”

He titled his head backward and looked at Ray in a weird direction. “Kiss me?”

“Okay.”

“No, stay there—” he told Ray when he was about to come around the corner. “I want to try something.”

“Wha—”

“Nothing like that, babe.”

He wrapped a hand around Ray’s neck and pulled him over his lap.

“See, that wasn’t so bad.” He smirked.

“Yeah. I think you broke my neck.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, babe. I can fix that.” He rubbed his hand down Ray’s neck affectionately.

“Uh-huh,” Ray let out when Nate sucked on that sweet spot on his neck.

“You’re so gorgeous.”

“Uh-huh,” Ray let out, as a moan escaped his lips.

“I love you so much,” Nate said into his neck, licking over the sweet spot with each word. “God, so much.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Mhmm.”

The sound of sharp footsteps didn't draw them away from their intimate moment. The footsteps disappeared after a long moment of groaning and frustrations.

“You think our PDA is a little too much for them?” Ray asked when he found his voice again.

“This?” He bit Ray’s neck. “Or the hands-holding. Because I swear I don’t how that happens. It’s like natural.”

“All of it.”

“Well, they can deal with it. They wanted us to get together. And we did. So, they have to deal with our amazing display of PDA. ‘Cause I can’t keep my hands off you.”

“I know.” 

“It’s not like you are any better than me, Ray.”

“I know.”

“I.” Nate kissed Ray’s neck. “Love.” He moved up to his cheeks and kissed them both. “You,” he ended, as he captured Ray’s kiss in his own.

“Love you right back,” Ray whispered back against his lips. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://my-allisondiamond-world.tumblr.com.) I accept prompts/requests there.

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me on [tumblr](http://my-allisondiamond-world.tumblr.com.)


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